Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Indonesia from July 6 to 8 is expected to deepen bilateral cooperation across digital public infrastructure, financial technology, food security, healthcare, agriculture and defence, as the two countries expand ties beyond traditional strategic engagement.
Indonesia is increasingly looking to India as a source of technology, governance models and development solutions, drawing on India's experience in digital payments, welfare delivery and public service reforms.
One of the key areas of collaboration is the proposed linkage between India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Indonesia's Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS). The cross-border payment system is expected to enable seamless digital transactions for travellers and businesses, boosting tourism, trade and digital commerce between the two countries.
Digital public infrastructure has emerged as another major pillar of cooperation. Indonesia's Open Network (ION), inspired by India's Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), aims to create an open digital marketplace for more than 65 million micro, small and medium enterprises. Built on the Beckn 2.0 protocol, ION is expected to record its first live transaction during the Modi-Prabowo summit on July 7.
India is also expected to play a role in Indonesia's Digital Nusantara programme, which seeks to build an interoperable national digital infrastructure. Indian technology and expertise behind platforms such as Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker, e-KYC and ONDC are being considered to support Indonesia's digital transformation and institutional capacity building.
The partnership is also expanding into financial markets, with both countries exploring cooperation in AI-powered market surveillance, digital investment platforms and technology-driven capital market reforms.
Beyond technology, Indonesia is drawing lessons from India's public welfare programmes. Its Free Nutritious Meals initiative has taken inspiration from India's PM POSHAN scheme, while its Red and White Village Cooperatives programme is exploring the Jan Aushadhi model to improve access to affordable medicines in rural areas.
Defence cooperation is also expected to feature prominently during the visit, with the two countries working on defence manufacturing, technology transfer, military training and maritime cooperation. India's indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative are seen as creating new opportunities for long-term collaboration.
The visit comes as India and Indonesia seek to broaden their strategic partnership through greater collaboration in digital innovation, public policy and defence, positioning development cooperation as a key pillar of bilateral ties.
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